Films in theaters

"Dredd 3-D": In the movies, the old saying goes, some stars wear the hat. And sometimes, the hat wears them. Say whatever else you want about Sylvester Stallone's kitschy 1995 turn as futuristic comic book judge-jury-executioner Judge Dredd, the dude wore the helmet. Karl Urban replaces him in the new "Dredd 3-D." And frankly, the helmet wears Urban.

"End of Watch": This film combines two distinct approaches: the buddy-cop film and the found footage tact. It's a racially mismatched buddy-cop movie in which the cops record their daily activities. But the found-footage aesthetic infuses the film with both intimacy and vibrancy. Co-stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena have such tremendous chemistry with each other, they make you want to ride alongside them all day, despite the many perils in store. As they insistently goof on each other in often hilarious fashion, their banter reveals not just an obvious and believable brotherly bond but also the kind of gallows humor necessary to make the horrors of their profession tolerable.

* * * -- (Christy Lemire, Associated Press.

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) R (violence, language, sexual content). 1 hour, 48 minutes.

"Frankenweenie": Tim Burton, the distinctive filmmaker beloved for mixing quirky and macabre with innocent and heartfelt, has been in a creative free fall. So, what a pleasure to see that the Burton we know and love is back. His latest endeavor, the playful and sweetly weird "Frankenweenie," is a welcome return to form for Burton, who helmed such iconic films as "Beeetlejuice" and "Edward Scissorhands."

"Looper": In the future, let's hope that more sci-fi films will be as assured, smart and inspired as this Rian Johnson film. Too many fail in one way or another, either dragging the entire enterprise down with overreaching pretensions or overwhelming us with an artillery of special effects. "Looper," on the other hand, aspires to achieve what dystopian kin like "Minority Report" accomplished: create a fully realized but familiar world filled with intriguing characters who grapple with a slew of moral dilemmas.

"The Master": Put the popcorn away, and prepare to fire up those brain cells. Summer's over, and Paul Thomas Anderson's cerebral knockout, "The Master," has arrived, heralding the unofficial start of Oscar season. Clear yet opaque, meaty yet deceptively uncluttered, this original film from one of our most innovative living directors ponders the challenging issue of our desire to be led by self-described prophets and leaders who simply don't know all the answers, even if they act as if they do. Just as important, it boasts three spectacular performances -- the most explosive coming from Joaquin Phoenix. Be warned: This is a movie demanding patience and diligence.

"The Perks of Being A Wallflower": Sometimes, an inexperienced filmmaker can use a helping hand from his cast. That's exactly what Stephen Chbosky got from Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller and Emma Watson in the adaptation of his popular young adult novel "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." The filmmaker, like his main character, is a little unsteady on his feet. But thanks to his stars, the film -- like the book -- is a smartly observed study of a troubled teen's first year in high school.

"Pitch Perfect": Cheeky and snarky but with an infectious energy, "Pitch Perfect," a comedy set in the cutthroat world of competing college a cappella groups, makes us fall in love with the very thing it's making fun of. It's ridiculous and predictable but also just a ton of fun, so you may as well give up and give in to your inner musical theater geek.

"Taken 2": "Taken," the enormously successful 2008 thriller in which a retired CIA agent gets his kidnapped teenage daughter back, was an explosion of middle-age machismo. Seeing Liam Neeson dish out some skull-cracking, back-snapping payback to every young thug in Paris proved to be a rollicking good time. Now there's "Taken 2," which has the requisite abductions, speeding cars and Americans in danger on foreign soil, but the only ones truly taken for a ride are those in the audience. All that's missing in this blatant money grab is a final shot of Neeson on a spending spree with his presumably large check.

"Trouble With the Curve": "Trouble With the Curve" is the anti-"Moneyball," last year's Oscar-nominated film about the 2002 Oakland A's and general manager Billy Beane's high-tech approach to baseball. Where "Moneyball" was high-concept and slickly made, "Trouble" is determinedly old-fashioned, unapologetically conventional storytelling. It may be cliche-ridden and somewhat predictable, but it's an entertaining and appealing film.

"Won't Back Down": The focus of the save-our-school drama "Won't Back Down" practically assures it will fail to join the ranks of great -- or even good -- education tales. The movie takes the story out of the classroom and into the halls of bureaucracy, leaving almost every kid behind to center on two plucky parents battling entrenched administrators and union leaders to turn around a failing school. So essentially, it's a school board meeting. Or school bored.